LEDI PITE , BRISILDA PULLUMBI,
Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Administration, Tirana, Albania
*Corresponding author; E-mail: l_pite@hotmail.com
Abstract
Livestock traceability is important to increase efficiency of disease surveillance and control. The livestock traceability system is a thorough system of livestock identification and tagging to assure the ability to trace the animal back to the farm of origin. Albania has embarked and is applying the livestock identification and registration, i.e. livestock traceability system, initially under the European Union (EU) projects in the context of the European Union enlargement. While there is a good opportunity to cover the initial investment and implementation by European Union assistance, it is important for Albania to foresee the sustainability of the livestock traceability system in a long run. Livestock traceability is becoming more sophisticated and it is important to understand the sustainability aspects. Sustainable livestock traceability system needs to balance economic efficiency and to achieve qualitative assurance. Quality assurance goes beyond the technical and economic viability aspects and requires organizational and institutional support.
The paper discusses how the sustainability of the livestock traceability system can be possibly achieved by giving consideration not only the technical technology aspects of livestock traceability system but also socio-economic and institutional developments of the country. The challenge of the sustainability of animal traceability system remains capacity building of strong formal and informal institutional relationships. A model of appropriate livestock traceability service for serving resource-poor farmers and wealthy producers for livestock disease control is discussed. In addition, this model can serve as an appropriate tool to support the subsidy schemes that government applies for rural development.
Keywords: Livestock Traceability, Livestock Identification and Registration, Sustainability, Animal Health.
